Forked Tongue meets Lion Heart
by TryAndBreakMe
Summary: The beginning of yet another year at Hogwarts. Same old Same old right? Wrong. Hermione is no longer the little first year striving to make a difference. Ron is still completely in denial about Hermione, and Harry? Harry is still trying to be the Hero.
1. Chapter 1

The beginning of yet another year at Hogwarts. Same old Same old right? Wrong. Hermione is no longer the little first year striving to make a difference in the world. Ron is still completely in denial about Hermione, and Harry? Harry is still trying to be the hero.

Sorry, Suck at summaries but read anyway. =3

Disclaimer: Awww, do I have to? Fine, Fine! I do not own any of the characters, however, the Plot and the circumstances in which I have placed our little wizards and Witches is purely of my own making. Heh,heh,heh.

Chapter 1. Yet Another Year.

Hermione woke up early on a Sunday morning. Today was the day she could go back to school and she wasn't wasting any time. She already had her bags packed and her books ready. Crookshanks, being the happily fat feline that he was, was currently out chasing mice or whatever else he could run down.

She climbed out of bed, stretched and ran a hand through her bushy brown hair.

'_Ugh, I have got to do something about this' _

She thought eyeing a strand of mousy hair caught in between her fingers. She went into the bathroom and looked in the small mirror. It showed only her head.

Hermione had curved, delicately shaped eyebrows and thick lashes surrounding wide, almond eyes that were currently a deep chocolaty brown. Her cheeks were rosy with only a slight diminish in childlike roundness that suggested her coming age of 16 years. She had full, pink rosy lips and a girlish chin.

After taking a quick shower she attempted to run a brush through her hair and left the bathroom.

She walked over to her almost empty dresser and took out a pair of worn jeans and a black tank top. She normally dressed more girly but she supposed her style had changed some over the summer. She applied mascara and eyeliner along with a little bit of black eye shadow and some clear lip gloss.

Hermione checked her watch, 9:20. The train would leave at 11:00. She walked downstairs to the kitchen where her bags were waiting by the front door. Crookshanks, now done hunting, was lounging lazily on the sofa. She made herself some toast with a bit of strawberry jam. While she was eating, she thought about the day. Ron and Harry had no doubt been writing all summer, talking about school, quiditch and anything else to take Harry's mind off of the Dursleys. She wondered how Ron and Lavender Brown were doing, surprised that they had kept their relationship together so long. Although the notion that Ron's feelings for her didn't go any farther than friends stung, she couldn't really blame him.

Who would like plain, boring, bookworm Hermione when you could have a beauty like Lavender?

Her musings were interrupted by her mother's voice.

"Hermione! What are you doing? The train leaves in half an hour! What are doing asleep?"

'_Oh no! Did I really fall asleep? Great, now I'll miss the train!'_

Hermione thought angrily to herself.

She stood up quickly, forgetting that she held a piece of Half-eaten toast in her hand. It fell to the floor and Crookshanks pounced on it.

"No Crookshanks, We have to go!"

She scooped the cat up in one arm and her trunk in the other and headed for the door.

"Hermione wait! Your Badge!"

Her father ran forward and swiftly pinned it to her shirt before getting the door for her.

"Thanks dad!"

She ran to the waiting car and jumped in. Hermione didn't much like traveling by floo powder so she was glad her mother had agreed to drive her to the station.

On Sunday morning almost everyone was in church or at home so there was almost no traffic on the roads. They arrived at the station with 5 minutes to spare. Hermione quickly kissed her Mum goodbye and dashed toward platform 9 ¾.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He woke up at half passed 9.

Crap.

The train left at 11:00 and it would take him at least 10 minutes to get there. None of his things were packed and his room was a mess.

Normally, Draco would _Never _have been so disorganized but lately he found it rather hard to keep up with trivial things like packing when he had so much else to worry about.

He jumped out of bed and ran to the mirror. He smoothed down his platinum hair with his hands and threw on some jeans and a T-shirt. He grabbed his black boots and slid his feet into them not bothering to tie them. After brushing his teeth he ran downstairs.

His trunk was in the attic, his books were scattered about his room and his clothes were still in his closet.

'_Damn'_

"Matilda. Matilda!"

With a loud crack the house elf appeared. She bowed low to the ground, her crooked nose almost touching the marble floor.

"Yes master Malfoy sir?" She said in a bored voice.

Malfoy looked at her with utter contempt. The elf was only here because Lucius had thought it proper to take on the responsibility of his boss' elf while he was away. She was a disdainful creature who seemed to do everything with a tired and ungrateful attitude.

"Pack all my school things and my books. Don't forget Ezekiel and my Broom."

He ran upstairs again and grabbed the things he knew the elf would forget. His Black invisibility cloak that shown silver and green in the moonlight. His pocket sneak o' scope, and his Journal. He threw them all into a green bag and ran back down the stairs.

All of his things were packed and anything that was forgotten he would send for. He grabbed his trunk, Ezekiel's cage and his Broomstick while heading for the fire place. He set his things down and grabbed a pinch of floo powder.

"King's Cross Station!"

At once the flames turned green and he began to spin. In a matter of seconds he found himself flat on his stomach, his trunk and other things sprawled beside him. He was in a shop, but he had no time to look. It was 10:45. He had 15 minutes. He scooped up his things and began walking swiftly to the platform. After all, he was Still a Malfoy and was, as such, expected to keep up appearances. How would he look if he came running down the walkway and straight through a brick wall?

'_CRASH!'_

His thoughts were interrupted when something quite heavy slammed into him and he found himself once again on the ground.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione flew down the walkway. Almost there.

She saw a flash of blonde come darting out of a nearby shop and _'CRASH!'_

Lights burst before her eyes as she collided with what felt like a brick wall. She was thrown onto the ground with a loud 'Thud'.

He recovered first.

"What in the Bloody hell?!"

He looked around to see who or what had run into him. He speechless at what he saw.

'_Granger? Granger! Bloody effing Hermione Granger! What does she-!, Who the hell-!, Why the-! Argh!'_

"What the hell do you think your doing Granger?!"

Hermione had just realized what she had crashed into but that wasn't nearly as important as Who. Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.

'_Oh no! He's going to hex me! Curse me. I'm done for. Of all the people, Why him?! Why Draco, Blood Malfoy!!!'_

She was startled by a voice yelling furiously at her.

"Granger! Granger! Get up! We're going to be late because of your stupid idiocy. Get up or I'm just going to leave you!"

It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Malfoy, Te Draco Malfoy, was trying to help her get to the platform. Help and Malfoy did not go together in the same sentence. _Especially if the words 'Granger' and 'Hermione' were also in that sentence._

_***~:::..Okay! That's all for now! Thank you so much for reading, I'll try to update soon!..:::~*** _


	2. The Hogwarts Express!

*~*~*~*~A/N: Hey people/Person! Here's the next chapter! I would like to thank my First Reviewer BlackWidow12 and Dedicate this Chapter to her! Thankies Much!~*~*~*~*

_It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Malfoy, Te Draco Malfoy, was trying to help her get to the platform. Help and Malfoy did not go together in the same sentence. Especially if the words 'Granger' and 'Hermione' were also in that sentence_

"Granger! That's it! I'm leaving you!"

She suddenly reached up and grabbed his still outstretched hand. He pulled her to her feet like she weighed absolutely nothing.

They gathered their things and took off at once. Hermione looked at her watch, 3 minutes. The wall was in sight. Almost there.

They were through.

A moment later the few students still on the platform were gaping at them.

'_What? Why is everyone looking at me?'_

They both thought.

Draco suddenly caught sight of their still intertwined fingers. He quickly jerked his hand away as if he'd been burned and looked at Hermione with disgust. He recovered his cool mask quickly and gave her a cold stare as he walked away with his things, Ezekiel hooting excitedly.

Hermione just stared.

The whistle for the train blew loud and clear signaling that the train was moving.

She dashed to the door and jumped on in the last few seconds before the bright red steam engine roared to life and began moving.

She moved down the train to her usual compartment and then remembered that she was a prefect this year. She turned around and headed back towards the front of the train. She reached the compartment and gasped.

Sitting on top of a lavishly decorated suitcase was the great black owl staring at her with those cold, calculating, yellow eyes.

'_Oh Merlin! Please no!!! Why! Why is this happening to me!? Anyone else, even that pug faced PARKINSON would be better than this!'_

Malfoy, It seemed was a prefect as well and to make things even worse, the only other empty luggage space was right next to his things. She set her things down reluctantly and the Owl hooted warningly at her.

"Oh shut up you filthy bird-"

"Actually, I thought my Owl was rather well groomed, unlike that filthy, orange, mop you call a cat."

A cold voice cut in. Hermione turned around to see the mercury orbs and platinum hair of the Slytherin prince. She noticed quickly that he had grown at least half a foot since last year as his head was now one and a half heads above her own. She just stood there waiting for more harsh words to come.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco left her alone on the platform. How could he be so _stupid_? Arriving in plain view holding hands with a _filthy, _Mud-….No. Not anymore. He refused to degrade her, even in the privacy of his mind. Even if she _was_ a Foolhardy Gryffindor.

He got onto the train, not unaware that she was still standing there staring dumbly after him. He went straight to the Prefect's compartment. Remembering how his father had bribed Snape to make him a prefect left a disgusting taste in his mouth. It didn't matter that his family had a large fortune that he was the sole heir to. Draco believed in achieving things by talent and skill. Not bribery.

He reached the compartment and was relieved to see through the rain spattered window that Hermione had found her way onto the train. He didn't understand this sudden emotion between them. Since when did he stop hating Mudbl-…Muggle borns? When did he start tolerating, much less helping the bloody Gryffindors? Especially one of the _Golden Trio. _He didn't know. Nor did he much care to think about it. He set his things down as he made a resolution.

'_She, is a Gryffindor. I, am a Slytherin. We are sworn enemies and it will forever be that way. I will_ NOT_ let this _Lion's Cub_ get in the way of what has been nearly law for centuries._'

With that he left the Prefects compartment to go see his _friends_. Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, and _Pansy._ That arrogant pug-face could not be counted as a friend but she constantly latched herself onto him. He dealt with it.

He walked back down the train and caught sight of a bushy brown head going towards the end of train. He found the compartment he was looking for and, as he expected, as soon as he slid the door open, Pug-Faced Parkinson was on his arm nearly throwing him into the seat beside her.

"Oh Draco! How _Are_ you darling? How was your summer? I wrote you but there must have been something wrong with the owl."

He gently pried his arm from her vice-like grip. She looked slightly put out but didn't say anything. She just smiled a large fake smile.

"Err…Yes Pansy. I haven't received any of your letters."

Blaise leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"Liar, Liar. Pants on fire."

In fact, Draco _had_ indeed received Pansy's letters. All twenty seven of them and all heavily scented in strong perfume and a big sloppy red lipstick smear ,that he could only assume was her crooked mouth, on each envelope. Gross.

Draco mumbled so that only Blaise, in his close proximity, could hear him.

"Shut the Bloody hell up Blaise. Do you want to lose your only connection to the Quiditch captain or what?"

Blaise was quiet. He had been trying to secure a place on the Slytherin quiditch team for Merlin only knows how long and Draco was his only chance. But Draco's need for _fair play_ was hindering him from that goal. Never the Less he was determined to keep trying and because Draco was the seeker he had a fair chance if Draco vouched for him.

"Draco dear. Why don't you try a cookie? They're _delicious_."

Pansy had produced a Tin of chocolate chip cookies that looked strangely pinkish and thrust one at him. One whiff told him that these _Cookies_ as Pug-face called them were _Heavily_ laced with a very badly made love potion. After years of this trick from random girls in Hogwarts he knew instantly what she was trying to pull.

"No thanks Pansy, I'll just grab something from the trolley when it comes around."

This time, Pug-Face didn't even _try_ to hide her disappointment.

"Oh Please? I worked ever so _hard _on them."

She placed her hand dangerously close to his crotch and he took that as the signal to _get the hell out._

"Uhhhh….I got to go check on Ezekiel. Thanks anyway!"

He darted out of the compartment as fast as he could. After getting a few compartments down the train he stopped and caught his breath.

'_Whew. What the HELL has gotten into that, that, Ugh! I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I hadn't gotten out of there when I did.'_

He continued down the train thinking that he might as well check on Ezekiel while he had the chance. When he reached the compartment however, the door was already open and none other than Hermione Granger was standing in the doorway.

"Oh shut up you filthy bird-"

'_How dare she call my owl _Filthy_! Just look at that THING she calls a _cat._'_

"Actually, I thought my Owl was rather well groomed, unlike that filthy, orange, mop you call a cat."

She spun around and seemed startled at first. Then she looked at him. Her eyes traveled up his body and stopped at his eyes.

He looked into her now Hazel ones, searching for something. Though he wasn't sure what.

*~*::.. Fin Chappie! Thanks for reading! Sorry the Chapter was so late but I have school at 7 in the morning and I have to wake up at five sooo….Bedtime for me! ..::*~*


	3. MudBlood

*~*~*~*Heya! I'm suffering from a massive writer's block so please bare with me. =3 Oh yah! Thank you so much BlackWidow12 for telling me about underlining the WHOLE chapter. XP I fixed it though! Alright, enough with this speak! On with Chapter 3! Meh. *~*~*~*

_She spun around and seemed startled at first. Then she looked at him. Her eyes traveled up his body and stopped at his eyes._

_He looked into her now Hazel ones, searching for something. Though he wasn't sure what._

Hermione and Draco stared at each other for what seemed like minutes. However, only seconds later, Draco looked away.

"Move out of my way Granger."

He gave her his perfected cold stare but she just stood there.

"I have a first name. It's Hermione and I would appreciate it if you called me by it Malfoy."

He smirked at her. He wasn't about to take orders from a…Gryffindor.

He grabbed her shoulders and easily moved her out into the aisle. She was about to start yelling at him but he slammed the door in her face.

He heard her retreat down to another compartment. No doubt to join up with the other two thirds of the _Golden Trio_. He sat down and put his head in his hands.

Why _didn't _he want to call her a Mud-Blood? That's what she was. She had Dirty blood, she was Muggle born. She encompassed everything that he was raised to hate. Didn't she?

His mind drifted back to an event not too long ago. He was in his room listening to his favorite band, _Blackest, _when he heard the screams. They were quiet at first. No more than a strange mumble reverberating against the stone walls. Then they grew. To a frantic pitch. Blood Curdling, Horror filled, screams. He threw his headphones down and undid the spelled lock on his door. Running down stairs he heard the screams grow louder.

"Oh please! Please No, I'll tell you anything. I'll Do Anything! Just, Please…Don't hurt her!"

A man was pleading. The anguish that Draco heard in his voice made his blood run cold. Then he heard something else that made his heart stop. His father's voice. He sounded…_amused._ He was _enjoying _listening to this mans anguished pleas.

Draco continued a brisk walk down the hall. He didn't want to run for fear of alerting his father of his approach. He reached the dungeon and carefully placed a quick muffling charm on his shoes. Draco descended to stares.

The stench of blood, sweat, and undiluted Fear hit him like a wall of granite. He continued slowly, keeping a hand over his mouth. Then he saw it.

His father was standing over a woman. Her once strawberry blonde hair was caked in blood. She had deep cuts all over her body and her left arm was Clearly broken. A man was chained to the wall. He had light brown hair and his eyes were a nondescript shade of blue. He had been the one screaming. He wasn't too hurt, just a few bruises and scrapes here and there.

"Please…" He whispered. "Please, stop."

Lucius let out a sick laugh, his face wrought with twisted glee.

"You really think I'm going to let you leave here alive don't you? Pity."

He was speaking to the woman. Completely ignoring the frantic please of the man. She lifted her head and shocking green eyes bored into Lucius' liquid silver ones with such hate and malice it almost knocked Draco off his feet. Lucius lost all of his amusement.

"You _Dare_ look me in the face?! You have know right you filthy _Mud-Blood."_

She smiled. It was a smile of triumph. She stood, not even wavering on her feet. Even in her dilapidated state she looked magnificent. She had an aura of one who could withstand the most horrible torture. Her voice was deep and powerful.

"No Lucius. It is You who has no right to look upon Me."

She was taller than Lucius. A good 6 inches taller to be exact. She was looking down on him with…with…_Pity?_

She began to laugh once more. This infuriated Lucius. How dare she think him below her. A woman, A Mud-Blood!

"You will pay for that. _Crucio!"_

She stop laughing and twitched. He looked as if he was about to explode he was so red in the face. She stood, and then, miraculously, she began laughing again. In fact, Draco couldn't even tell that she was under the Cruciatus except for the fact that his father still had his wand bent towards her.

"Aaahhhrrrrggghhh!!! Die MUD-BLOOD! _AVADAKADAVRA!!!_

A jet of green light shot from his wand. She fell to the floor and lay still. Even in death, she seemed above Lucius. He seemed to notice this and walked over to her.

"You may have been brave in life. But what has Bravery gotten you? Where has it gotten you? No Where!"

He kicked her in the ribs. Draco heard a sickening crack. Lucius lifted his foot again but Draco just couldn't take it anymore. He burst through the doors, not caring what his father thought.

"That's enough! She's dead! You don't need to keep at it Father! Just stop!"

Draco was breathing heavily, as was Lucius. A look of pure fury ebbed into his eyes.

"Draco. How long have you been standing there? WHAT DID YOU SEE?!"

Lucius grabbed Draco by the collar and yanked him forward to stand in front of him. He poised his wand and Draco could tell that the Cruciatus was only moments from his lips.

"I only saw you kill her! That's it! I've only been standing there for a minute or so."

Apparently his father was convinced. He let him go.

"Very well boy, Next time you here Anything from this dungeon, you ignore it unless I myself summon you here. Do you understand?"

Draco nodded minutely.

"Yes father."

With that, Lucius disappeared from the dungeon, leaving Draco alone with the battered corpse of the woman and the nearly unconscious man. The man whispered almost too weak to say anything.

"Please, Bring Genevieve to me."

Draco nodded and mumbled the spell.

He moved her to the side of the man and walked towards them both. He unchained the man.

"Thank you, my name is Eli." He said in a strained voice. "Here, I want you to have this. I… Will join my beloved soon," He stroked her cheek tenderly. " I have no more need of this. Please, it is of too much value to be sold or just discarded. Use it well Master Draco."

He produced a small paper package and muttered a spell that Draco could not understand. The package grew and unwrapped itself. Draco gasped.

It was a black cloak, but it shimmered silver and green in the moonlight shining from the skylight. It, was an invisibility cloak.

"Eli…Do you understand what you have given me? I am- " But he stopped. Eli had ceased breathing. Draco looked for a cause of death. He found it. A small vile lay net to him and on a shelf only a few centimeters above his reach, lay a full vile. The antidote to the poison that Eli had been forced to drink by his father.

Draco heard someone descending the stairs. He quickly shrunk the cloak and took one last glance at Eli and Genevieve.

It was a house elf. Probably sent to clean up the mess after his father had had his _"Fun"_

Draco left the dungeon but while locked in his room once more, the music of _Blackest_ blaring in his ear again, he couldn't help but picture the couple he had left lying in the dank dungeon.

They had died, together. They're fingers intertwined until they're last breath.

*..::End flashback.::..*

*~*~*~*~*~Fin! Okay! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review! Thankies much!~*~*~*~*~*


	4. Conversations

_*~*~*~*_Heya! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. It's been the week of my birthday so yah…PartyPartyParty. Today, 12/10 is my actual birthday. Yeppz…December tenth! Wheee! Anyways, Still suffering from writers block so this may be a sucking chapter. =P I'm actually listening to Tom Felton now.

_Draco left the dungeon but while locked in his room once more, the music of Blackest blaring in his ear again, he couldn't help but picture the couple he had left lying in the dank dungeon._

_They had died, together. They're fingers intertwined until they're last breath. _

_*..::End flashback.::..*_

Draco was startled out of his stupor by a loud pounding on the compartment door. Draco cringed internally when he heard the voice on the other side of the door. Apparently Pansy had heard that he had had a small altercation with Hermione and had come to investigate.

"Draco, I heard that the Granger girl was messing with you. Shall I hex her for you?"

Draco couldn't stand it. He didn't want to go out there. In fact, he would be perfectly happy to spend the rest of the hour in the small, cramped compartment if it meant staying away from _pug-face_. But he didn't want anyone to hurt Hermione. Especially Pansy. She may be stupid beyond comparison but she could hex someone with such vehemence that it made Draco cringe internally.

"Draco! I _demand_ you come out now! You and I both know that you can't hide in there forever _Daring_. Just come out and let me make everything all better."

She rapped on the door again. What to do? What to Do!

'_Wait! I got it!'_

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, hastily wrapped package. He whispered the spell and it grew to the size of a large pillow. He unfolded it and threw it over himself. After pressing himself as far into the back as he could, his leg bending around Hermione's trunk, he magically unlocked the door.

"Draco if you don't come out now I'm going to break this door down!"

He waited. And waited. And Waited. Finally, Blaise saved him from an extremely painful leg cramp by hurrying her up saying, " You know Pug- I mean…Pansy. He's probably not even in there. Why don't you just go ahead and check?"

Pug gave him a dirty and slid the compartment door open. Draco held his breath.

"Huh…" Said Pug-Face, "I was sure my Drakey-Pooh was in here.

Draco almost gagged at the supremely horrid pet name that Pug had appointed him. Ugh. He heard someone else next to Pug-Face.

"Excuse but if your done blocking the compartment, could you please move? Some of us actually have things to do."

Oh no. It was Hermione.

"You'd better watch who your talking to, _Mud-Blood_."

Draco could have cursed her. But he didn't. Alas. Pug-Face and her _"Crew"_ retreated down the aisle. Hermione stepped into the compartment and closed the door. She sat down next to Ezekiel and he hooted more in greeting than anything else.

She took in his glossy black feathers that were almost blue. He had his startling golden eyes trained on her. Around his face there was the classic mask design in a slightly lighter shade and his feathers. His beak was curved and very sharp. Ezekiel was almost as handsome as his owner. Almost.

"I suppose you _are_ a very good looking bird aren't you?"

He hooted and ruffled his feathers. Hermione laughed softly.

"And I bet you know it too."

She stroked his feathers through the cage. Surprised at their silky texture.

"Your owner is a funny sort of character isn't he? One minute he is actually being somewhat decent to me, the next he could probably Avada my ass and not give a damn about it. You know, he's pretty good looking himself. If he wasn't such an arrogant git, he _might_ be worth it. Then again, who would ever want plain, bookworm Hermione?"

She sighed. This was all so confusing.

During Hermione's musings, The cramp in Draco's leg from standing so still at such an awkward angle for so long had grown steadily worse until finally he was about to scream in pain. He wrenched the cloak off and fell onto the floor of the compartment.

Hermione shrieked and stood up.

"You've been standing there, _this whole time_?! Why didn't you say something, why didn't you tell me to get out, why didn't you tell me you were-"

Draco was on the floor furiously trying to rub the cramp out of his leg. Hermione took one look into his pleading eyes and forgot about how angry she was at him. She knelt down and gently moved his pant's leg up. She ran her fingers gently along his calf. The muscle was twisted and she couldn't even imagine how much it hurt.

Hermione drew her wand and muttered a very complicated sounding spell. She felt the muscle even out and Draco sat up straighter.

There was an awkward silence that Draco was the first to break.

"Thank you. For…"

"Your welcome."

Another awkward silence. Draco sighed deeply and looked as if he had come to some decision.

"Hermione…I haven't always been the most courteous to you-"

She snorted quite audibly then looked contrite.

"Let me finish."

She smiled slightly, "Sorry."

"As I said, I haven't always treated you honorably. I don't claim to be a saint, but this summer some events took place that opened my eyes considerably. I was ignorant and boastful when it came to my family name. Now I see that I was wrong. No matter how honorably my father believes he is acting it does not justify the cruel and unjust acts that he has committed. I am truly sorry for any hurt I have caused you over the past years. It was all based on unfounded delusions of right and wrong."

It was quiet but it was more a thoughtful sort of silence than an awkward one. Finally, seemingly after much deliberation, Hermione spoke.

"You know…You were a bit of an Arrogant ass in the previous years eh? I would be too though if I had such a prat for a father and that _thing_ to deal with every damn day."

Draco was taken aback at the bluntness of her statement.

Hermione laughed out loud at the peculiar expression on his face. It was a mixture of amusement and shock.

"Ah…As I'm sure you are painfully aware, I'm not the same Hermione I was last year am I? Yes, some things have changed over the summer. Including the set up of the "Golden Trio"

Draco raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Care to explain?"

Hermione sighed. "Well, the way that our group has always been, Harry was the hero, Ron is the brave but extraordinarily dense one-"

Draco laughed at this one.

" and I," She continued, "was the clever, intelligent bookworm that had nothing better to do than solve the mysteries that the famous Boy-Who-Lived presented me with."

She paused and looked with coolly masked disbelief at Draco who was wearing an expression of amused interest that held none of the ever present malice that she had come to associate with Draco Malfoy. She continued.

"But I got tired of it. I got tired of waiting for my time in the spotlight, Wondering when I was going to be recognized for something. Sure I was praised for doing so well in my studies and being "The Brightest Witch in a Century" but it was all so…"

"Empty."

She looked up in surprise at Draco.

"You were always just a part of something, never standing alone. You were always just Ron's Crush, Harry's second Best friend. Always so bright, so Praised but never truly recognized. Unfulfilled."

"How did you-"

Draco smiled wryly.

"That's how it was with me believe it or not. The Slytherin prince who never got close to anyone. I was always my Father's Son. That was it. I still am. People are always going to expect me to be cold and distant…and cruel. That's why I change so quickly, that's why I can speak to you like a civilized human being now but as soon as we get in mixed company you have to be nothing more than a Gryffindor to me. You have to be nothing. No one. I can't talk to you, can't even acknowledge your existence unless I'm putting you down and telling you how inferior to myself you are."

The hurt was evident in Hermione's eyes, but it was the truth.

"Well that explains it."

"Yes, that's what you wanted to know isn't it, why I'm such an arrogant git?"

She blushed, so he hadn't forgotten about her little chat session with Ezekiel. Well.

"And no," He said as if reading her thoughts, "I haven't forgotten what you said to Ezekiel. Another thing, you not just plain bookworm Hermione. Your so much more than that."

Draco even surprised himself when he blushed. His pale skin giving off the faintest rosy glow.

'_Geeze!,'_ She thought_ 'He even Blushes gracefully!'_

Draco stood up, finding the small compartment suddenly much too small. He grabbed his school robes and turned back to Hermione.

"I'm sorry…It's just, Your so, I….Have to go."

He reached for the compartment door but Hermione grabbed his hand and he turned around. She stared up into his liquid mercury eyes and he stared down into her golden brown ones. He ran a finger across her silky cheek and she closed her eyes at his touch. He bent, and brushed her lips with his own.

All too soon the feeling was gone. Draco disappeared leaving Hermione alone in the compartment to change and contemplate what had just happened. The Silver eyed, platinum haired Slytherin Prince had just kissed her. Her! Hermione Granger. The most Gryffindor of the Gryffindors, part of the Golden Trio itself!

It was too soon when the train reached Hogsmead station…In the pouring rain.

*~*~*~Okay! Sorry I took forever to update, Things have just been WAY TOO CRAZY! Plus I couldn't get over my Massive WB and I also broke my Computer and had to buy a laptop so I am currently working outside on a park bench in 36 degree weather! Yay!

The Band _Blackest_ has music quite similar to that of MCR, one of my favorites. The Cramp thing on the train was actually something that happened to me. I was hiding behind this big stack of luggage and this guy came in the compartment and I didn't know who he was and he just sat down! I didn't want to scare him so I just stayed there and after like, 20 minutes my friend Casey finally came in and told the guy that that was our compartment. When he left I fell over and started crying my leg hurt so bad. XXP*~*~*~*~*


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